News for December 1st 2015

Local Montreal university student Adam Schachner recently completed two separate Bachelors degrees- one from Concordia University and one from McGill.

According to CBC News, he enrolled in Mechanical engineering at McGill back in 2010, but afterwards decided to take a second degree in film animation at Concordia.

Schachner says that he went into engineering out of his desire to create things, but felt limited by the degree.

He also says that despite his overwhelming schedule, he kept his double life a secret from both administrations, seeing no reason why he couldn't attend both universities.

NATIONAL

by Pauline Nesbitt

Ottawa is increasing the amount of armed police officers in its force.

Twelve Ottawa police officers have been temporarily reassigned to the guns and gang unit, as the force struggles to deal with an increase in the number of shootings over the past three weeks.

According to CTV News, Ottawa’s police chief, Charles Bordeleau, says that he has requested 25 additional officers in the 2016 budget to permanently increase the officers assigned to the guns and gangs unit.

Bordeleau noted that additional officers were assigned to the force’s direct action response team on a temporary basis last year, when there was a significant increase in crimes committed by street gangs.

INTERNATIONAL

by Julian McKenzie

The gunman who allegedly killed three people and wounded nine others at an abortion clinic in Colorado Springs has been told he could be sentenced to death after a court appearance on Monday.

According to the Globe and Mail, Robert Lewis Dear is facing numerous charges including first-degree murder.

Dear appeared in a Colorado court via video and was told that charges would be filed against him during a scheduled court appearance on December 9th.

If convicted, Dear will face either a minimum penalty of life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

A police officer was among the three deaths in the shooting.

The attack is believed to be first on an American abortion clinic in six years.